Storage and baler cabinet



May 19, 1953 B. R. FRIEND STORAGE AND BALER CABINET Filed July 3, 1950INVENTOR. Jaw/mm K. fig/tw hold newspaper and magazine baler.

Patented May 19, 1953 UNIT ED S TATES PAT E N T OFFICE STORAGE'ANDBALLER' CABINET Benjamin R. Friend, Indianapolis, Ind.

Application July 3, 1950; Serial No.171'g897 1 Claim.

1 This invention relates to a storage and baler cabinet particularlyadapted for use as a house- It is the purpose of the invention toprovidea cabinet structure in which newspapers, magazines and the like maybe'k'e'pt for use as 'well as "for storage, and wherein the cabinetstructure is such that upon an accumulation of such matter reaching thestage where it is desired. to dispose of it, it may be bundled or tiedup as a bale Without removal from the shelf of the cabinet on which itnormally reposes.

For this purpose there is associated with the cabinet of shelves as anarticle of furniture, a baling shelf and structure preferably at the topof the cabinet in which crisscross kerfs are arranged, mating centrallyof the shelf and terminating at the ends and the rear thereof in mergingrelation with similar vertically-extending kerfs in the back and endwalls, and wherein said vertically-extending lrerfs terminate at theirlower end in an annular opening through which a ball of twine may bepassed, and have associated with their upper ends transverse twinegripping slots.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from theaccompanying drawings and the following description and claim:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the cabinet showing a series of storageshelves superimposed by the baler shelf and structure.

Fig. 2 is a plan view looking down on the cabinet.

Fig. 3 is a central vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings there is illustrated a cabinet i6 having a base l2 as anarticle of furniture, and which is adapted to provide storage shelvesfor socks, newspapers and periodicals through the medium of theadjustable lower shelves l3 and M.

The baler structure is provided at the top of the cabinet and includes ashelf assemblage IS in all respects similar to the usual shelves asindicated. at 3 and I4, other than said shelf assemblage It": is formedin four segments by the provision of the intersecting kerfs l6 and I!forming open slots extending throughout the full length and width of theshelf assemblage respectively. Said lrerfs join at the center of theshelf assemblage to provide a communicating central opening IS with theadjacent corners of the shelf segments rounded as indicated at IS. Theseveral segments of the shelf assemblage are individually supported bysuitable brackets, such as indicated at 20 to:provideindividualsupportstherefor.

The lengthwise kerf i6 is in alignment and.

"communicates with the vertical kerfs or open slots 2| formed'centrallyof theside walls 220i the cabinetuandopen to the upper edge thereof. Thelower end of the kerfs 2i terminate in a circular opening 23 in each ofthe side walls, respectively. Said opening is of such size as to permitpassage therethrough of the usual ball of binding twine 24, as indicatedin Fig. 3. A similar upwardly extending kerf or open slot 25 is providedin the rear wall, which kerf is in line with and opens into the kerf l1.Said kerf is open at its upper end and terminates at its lower end inthe circular opening 26 similar in all respects to the openings 23. Ineach of the side walls 22 adjacent the upper ends thereof there areprovided opposed holding slots 21 into which the binding twine 28 may bepassed for temporarily holding it in place as shown at the righthandside of Fig. 3.

Whereas the shelf assemblage l5 may be employed in the manner of anyother shelf, such as shelves [3 and M, for reception of variousarticles, and particularly newspapers and periodicals indicated at 29,it serves as a part of a baler structure in the following manner: Uponaccumulation of the periodicals 29, as shown in Fig. 3, and wherein itis desired to bale them, the free end of the binding twine 28 may belocked in one of the slots 21 and the twine drawn across the top of theperiodicals to be baled, and downwardly along one side thereof throughthe kerf 21 in the opposite side wall 22 of the cabinet. The ball oftwine may then be passed through the opposed openings 23 to the otherside of the cabinet and drawn up through the kerf IE to the oppositeupright kerf 2|. If only one loop of twine is desired, the free end maythen be tied with the looped portion, the twine cut from the ball andthe bale lifted from the shelf. On the other hand, as many loops asdesired may be provided in the same manner by passing the ball or thelike repeatedly through the openings 23 so that the twine is drawn aboutthe stack of material to be baled through the kerfs I6 and 2|. However,it is usually desirable to wrap and tie the bale crosswise. Therefore,after there has been one or more loops made as above described, thetwine may be looped about the top strand and passed through the kerf 25,kerf I1 and opening 26 in the back wall of the cabinet. The loopingthrough said kerfs and opening may be repeated as many times as desiredfollowed by the tying of the baling twine in the usual manner.

Whereas the manner of arranging and passing the twine about the materialhas been described as one example, it is obvious that the looping may beformed in any other sequence. After the desired binding loops have beenmade and the twine tied securely, the material in its bound an baledform may be readily lifted free of the shelf assemblage and cabinet.

The invention claimed is:

A baler comprising spaced parallel end walls, a back wall connectingsaid end walls, supporting shelves disposed below the upper edges ofsaid end and back walls extending from one of said end walls toward theother end wall and two of said shelves being contiguous at onelongitudinal edge with said back wall, said shelves having spacedlongitudinal edges defining a first slot extending the entire thicknessthereof and throughout the length thereof and from end to end andparallel to the outer longitudinal edges thereof, said shelves alsohaving spaced lateral edges defining a second slot extending throughoutthe width thereof and intersecting said first slot, said end and backwalls having slots extending 4 the entire thickness thereof and fromtheir upper edges past and beyond said shelves, said latter slotscommunicating with said first and second slots, and said end and backwalls having enlarged receiving openings for the human hand extendingtherethrough below said shelves and which open into lower ends of saidend and back wall slots respectively, whereby a bundle supported on saidshelves may be longitudinally and laterally overwrapped withoutinterference by the baler structure.

BENJAMIN R. FRIEND.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 204,741 Jones June 3, 1878 921,453 Pilon May 11, 19091,197,824 Hess Sept. 12, 1916 1,336,973 Levene Apr, 13, 1920 1,988,778Brandsma Jan. 22, 1935 2,364,518 Clouser Dec, 5, 1944 2,415,825 KnuthFeb. 18, 1947 2,485,419 Thompson Oct. 18, 1949 2,599,290

Schwenzer June 3, 1952

